Ice-creeper.



W. A. BEARD.

ICE CREEPER.

APPLICATIONFFILED )UNE 21.1916:

1 06,653, Patented Nov. 28, 1916;

\nvenTor. WHIiumABeurd WILLIAM A. en n), or Arnie, ivrnssncrrosnrtrs.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

Application filed June 21, 1916. Serial No. 105,048.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, l/VILLIAM A. BEARD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ayer, county of Middleserr, State of Massachusetts, haveinvented an Improvement in Ice-Creepers, of which the followingdescription, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is aspecification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to ice creepers such as are adapted to beattached to the sole of a shoe, and has for its object to provide anovel device which is simple in construction and in which the holdingspurs can be thrown into either operative or inoperative position at thewill of the wearer.

When the holding spurs are in operative position they project below thesole of the shoe and will be forced into the ice or other slipperysurface on which a person is walking, thus preventing the person fromslipping. When the holding spurs are in'their inoperative position theyare entirely out of the way and do not have contact with the surface onwhich a person is walking.

My improved ice creeper can be attached to the shoe in any suitable wayeither by screwing it to the sole of the shoe or by providing it withstraps by which it may be strapped in place.

In order to give an understanding of the invention, I have illustratedin the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will now bedescribed, after which the novel features will be pointed out in theappended claims. 1

- Figure 1 is a side view of a shoe having my improved ice creeperapplied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a view of the ice creeper detached;

Fig. 3 is an underside plan view thereof; Fig. 41 is a view similar toFig. 2, but showing the holding spurs unlocked; Fig. 5 is a section onthe line 55, Fig. 2.

My improved ice creeper is designed to be secured to the sole 10f a shoe2 beneath the shank thereof and directly in front of the heel 3.

4: is a plate of metal which supports the holding prongs OlfqtllG icecreeper and which is adapted to be secured to the sole 1 'of the shoe insome suitable way. Said plate may be fastened directly to the sole ofthe shoe by attaching screws which may be inserted through apertures 5in the plate, or said plate may be riveted to a strap 31 by which th e eca be p ed to the sole of a shoe, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Thisconstruction is shown in Figs. 1 and 4., the rlvets being shown at 32.The particular way in which the plate is secured to the shoe is notimportant to the invention.

The holding prongs are shown at 6, there being two in this embodiment ofmy invention. These prongs are secured to a bar 7 which is secured tothe plate 4:. The holding prongs 6 can conveniently be made by bendingthe ends of the bar 7- at right angles and sharpening them as shown. Theplate 4 is provided with two cars or upturned portions 8 and 9 in whichthe bar 7 is received, said ears being each provided with a squareaperture 10 through which the bar extends. The bar 7 is formed topresent two squared portions 11 and 12 at each end thereof and two roundportions 13 and 14 adjacent the square'portions. The square portions 11and 12 are of a size to fit the square apertures 10 in the arms 8 and 9.Whenthe bar 7 is in such a position that said square portions 11 and 12occupy the apertures 10, as shown in Fig. 2, the bar, will be held from'turning movement and will be locked to the plate 4:. On

the other handQwhen the bar 7 is shifted longitudinallyw into theposition shown in Fig. 4 thereby to bring the round portions 13 and letin the apertures 10, then said bar can be turned I so as to throw theholding spurs 6 from the full to the dotted lineposition, Fig. 1 or viceversa.

WVhen the ice creeper is to be used the bar is turned so that theholding spurs 6 are pointed downwardly and then it is movedlongitudinally to bring the square portions 11 and 12 into theapertureslO, thereby locking it from turning. In order to hold the barfrom longltudlnal movement when the spurs are in their operativeposition, I have provided a spring-pressed locking pawl 15 which isadapted to engage a shoulder 16 formed on the bar 7, as seen in Fig. 2.This locking portion 15- 's carried by a resilient arm17 which is hereinshown as extended from the arm or ear 9. Said arm 17 is also providedwith the lateral extensions 18 forming finger pieces by which it may bemanipulated to release the locking pawl from the shoulder 16.

Nhen the holding spurs are in their 0perative position, as shown inFigs. 1 and 2, the bar 7 is held from turning movement by thecooperation of the squared portions 11 and. l? with th qu d apertures 10and,

r they will be entirely out of the way and out of contact with theground. The bar 7 may then be moved longitudinally again to bring thesquared portions 11 and 12 into the apertures 10, thus locking the barwith its spurs in inoperative position. The device is very simple andeasy to operate and the spurs can be easily turned into inoperativeposition when they are not needed, thus obviating the necessity ofremoving the device from the shoe.

While I have illustrated herein one embodiment of my invention, I do notwish to be limited to the constructional features shown.

I claim:

1. In an ice creeper, the combination with a plate adapted to be securedto the sole of a shoe and bent to present at each end thereof anupturned ear, each ear having a square aperture therein, of a bar havingholding spurs and extending through the apertures in said ears, said barhaving non-circular portions of a size to fit the apertures and alsoother portions capable of rotation in said apertures, said bar beingslidable longitudinally in the apertures to bring either thenon-circular or other portions into said apertures, one of said earshaving a locking latch extending therefrom adapted to engage said barand lock it in a position in which the non-circular portions occupy theapertures.

2. In an ice creeper, the combination with a plate having upturned ears,of a bar provided with holding spurs and mounted in said ears forlongitudinal movement, said bar in one position being free to turn tocarry the spurs from operative to inoperative position and in anotherposition being locked from turning movement, and means to lock the barfrom longitudinal movement when in the latter position.

3. In an ice creeper, the combination with a plate having upturned ears,of a bar provided with holding spurs and mounted 1n said ears forlongitudinal movement, said bar in one position being free to turn tocarry the spurs from operative to inoperative position and in anotherposition being locked from turning movement, and a looking latch carriedby one ear and adapted to have locking engagement with the bar to lockthe latter from longitudinal movement.

4. In an ice creeper, the combination with a plate having upturned ears,of a bar provided withholding spurs and mounted in said ears forlongitudinal movement, said bar in one position being free to turn tocarry the spurs from operative to inoperative position and in anotherposition being locked from turning movement, said bar having a shoulder,and a locking latch adapted to engage said shoulder and lock the barpositively from longitudinal movement when it is locked from turningmovement.

5. In an ice creeper, the combination with a plate having upturned ears,of a bar pro vided with holding spurs and mounted in said ears forlongitudinal movement, said bar in one position being free to turn tocarry the spurs from operative to inoperative position and in anotherposition being locked from turning movement, said bar having a shoulder,and a resilient locking latch carried by one of the ears and adapted toengage said shoulder and lock the bar from longitudinal movement.

6. The combination with a plate having two upturned ears provided withnon-circular apertures, of a bar extending through said apertures andprovided with holding spurs, said bar having non-circular portions of asize to fit the apertures and also round portions and being slidablelongitudinally in the apertures to bring either the noncircular or theround portions into said apertures whereby when the round portions arein the apertures the bar can be turned to swing the spurs into eitheroperative or inoperative position and when the non-cir cular portion isin the aperture the bar is locked from turning movement, and means tolock the bar with the non-circular portions in the apertures.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my 'name to this specification.

WILLIAM A. BEARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe qommissioner o1 Eatents, Washington, D. G.

